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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “small link”

wp.org orders by popularity, so a plugin a host bundled onto millions of sites, or a big-brand one that's slow and mediocre, can sit at the top. Our ranking is built to answer a different question: which of these is actually worth installing. How this works →

For “small link”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 5 plugins are pushed down for signals wp.org ignores: errors, a host-installed base, or removal risk.

wp.org search ranks on

Install count (uncapped), the raw star average, freshness, and support. Popularity dominates, so the biggest install base usually wins regardless of how it got there.

We add

A cap on the install boost, volume-weighted ratings, and signals wp.org can't see: whether it throws errors on current PHP, whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Share Link shows at wp.org #10 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

All-in-One WP Migration and Backup places #9 on merit, 4.5★ from 7676 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ · 4.8★ (1322) wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too low 2 Broken Link Checker 500K+ · 3.8★ (605) wp.org #1 ↑1 1 too high 3 The Events Calendar 600K+ · 4.2★ (2461) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Link Whisper Free 30K+ · 4.2★ (150) wp.org #4 5 ThirstyAffiliates – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking & Marketing Plugin 30K+ · 4.6★ (251) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO – Find & Fix Broken Internal, External & Video Links 200K+ · 3.8★ (87) wp.org #3 3 too high 7 Simple Link Directory – AI Powered 2K+ · 4.8★ (121) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 P Page Links To 100K+ · 4.9★ (157) wp.org #8 9 All-in-One WP Migration and Backup 5M+ · 4.5★ (7676) wp.org #24 ↓2 15 too low 10 M MimeTypes Link Icons 8K+ · 5.0★ (26) wp.org #12 ↓1 2 too low 11 Cyrlitera – Transliteration of Links and File Names 40K+ · 4.6★ (62) wp.org #15 4 too low 12 GenerateBlocks 200K+ · 4.9★ (122) wp.org #20 8 too low 13 Link Shortner 700+ · 4.5★ (11) wp.org #9 4 too high 14 Ever Accounting – Accounting & Invoicing Solution for Small Businesses 1K+ · 4.8★ (24) wp.org #17 ↑1 3 too low 15 Affiliate Link Marker 400+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #11 ↑1 4 too high 16 LinkCentral – URL shortener, Affiliate Links & Custom Link Shortener with Link Tracking 400+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #23 7 too low 17 Affiliate Links – Link Cloaking and Management 3K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #14 ↓1 3 too high 18 Internet Archive Wayback Machine Link Fixer 1K+ · 3.8★ (8) wp.org #21 3 too low 19 VS Link Manager 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 3 too high 20 Exclude Attachment Link Suggestions 80+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 ↓1 2 too high 21 Share Link 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 11 too high 22 Small Package Quotes – UPS Edition 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 3 too high 23 Small Package Quotes – Worldwide Express Edition 90+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↑1 10 too high 24 Small Package Quotes – For Customers of FedEx 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 2 too high

Merit ranking caps the install boost at 1M (wp.org leaves it uncapped), replaces the raw star average with a volume-weighted Bayesian score and a Wilson lower bound, and keeps wp.org's own freshness and compatibility decays. Method from the plugin-directory source; see Meta Trac #8298. Positions are tracked daily from the first visit to a keyword, so the small arrows show movement since tracking began.